1. Field
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to image forming, and more particularly, to an image forming apparatus, a color registration method of an image forming apparatus, a host apparatus, a control method of a host apparatus, and a computer-readable recording medium, which perform color registration using scanning result with respect to a test pattern implemented for color registration.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatus generally operates to print out print data generated at a terminal such as a computer onto a printing paper. An example of an image forming apparatus includes a copier, a printer, a facsimile and a multi function peripheral (MFP) that provides combined functionality of at least two of the single apparatuses.
Laser image forming apparatuses are replacing image forming apparatuses such as dot image forming apparatuses or inkjet image forming apparatuses, because of improved printing quality, speed, and/or noise during printing operation. A laser image forming apparatus generally operates to apply a toner onto an OPC (Organic Photo Conductive) using a laser ray modulated into picture signal, transfer toner from the surface of the OPC onto a printing sheet, and fixing the toner onto the printing sheet using high temperature and pressure.
A color laser printer has been distributed, which is a laser image forming apparatus that can implement color printing. A color printer generally expresses color images using four colors, i.e., CMYK.
The color laser image forming apparatus may be classified as a single path system that has four laser and four OPC, or a multi-path system that has one laser and one OPC.
To implement accurate color expression, each printing scheme may be required to transfer toner to accurate locations in an overlapping manner. However, an error in the locations of toner transfer increases as a number of printing sheets increases caused by, for example, an operational error among the transferring devices, resulting in problems such as appearance of a white-gap at a location where different colors meet, or a defect in the printed image.
To attempt to address such problems, an image forming apparatus may employ an auto color registration (ACR) function. ACR may be an automatically-performed process, in which a separate sensor senses a test pattern for color registration transferred onto an intermediate transfer belt and calculates an offset amount for the color registration using the sensed result.
To attempt to address the problems, a user may visually check a test pattern for color registration, and calculate an offset amount for color registration.
A problem occurs in that the ACR may have a limit in providing an accurate measure of the offset amount for color registration, due, for example, to contamination of the sensor or insufficient precision.
The manual method color registration, which is done by the user, also has shortcomings of deteriorating accuracy of an offset amount since the offset amount is determined based on the visual observation of the user, or an inaccurate offset since the offset amount for color registration is limited to only offset locations.